Revitalise public sector performance

Published: 10/04/2017 12:00 pm

Tariq Hilal al Barwani

Tariq Hilal al Barwani

Founder , Knowledge Oman

Adopting the professional approach of a business will help the government in improving economic growth in the future. A well-oiled government machinery and public service is essential for the success of any nation’s economy. With the right system, process and people, you will definitely see fruitful results. If an economy has to flourish, the government and allied bodies should adapt to changing times and adopt best practices from various sources, including successful businesses. There should be a change in the ways of thinking, analysing issues, commitment towards results and needless to mention the work culture, especially regarding time and accountability. It is time to get out of the comfort zone and gear up for a better future

In my humble opinion, five things will help improve the economy: 1) Loosen up bureaucratic obstacles,

2) Enhance business registration processes with clarity,

3) Offer equal access to resources, 4) Offer training for the workforce and 5) Implement an effective KPI (key performance indicator) systems to monitor and measure the performance of public sector staff.

Bureaucratic obstacles such as work visas and permits (especially for women) and the lengthy business registration requirements and complexities for some activities can be a pain and a put off for some entrepreneurs and investors. Giving equal opportunities and easier registration system would improve investment interest and it will open up businesses that would ultimately lead to more job opportunities as well. Furthermore, giving equal opportunities to people living in the country would create genuine long term interest in the development of the business and ultimately the economy – If people think they are here for a short term, they will think and work only for the short term.

Ceasing regular training due to budget constraints will certainly impact innovation negatively. There would be no advancement and it will lead to the death of the project or business eventually. Education offered today is either non-practical or very academic in nature and it cannot be applied in the real world. Training must be given for what is required and not what is available.

Proper implementation of KPI in the public sector will result in improving efficiency of the government and help the economy function very well.

There is a lot of energy, passion and opportunities to build on today for the country. And unless a supporting environment is in place, I doubt we will see any of them materialise. There is definitely improvement in the way things are being done and I have no doubt that by taking the aforementioned enhancements into serious consideration, our economy will be able to make bigger strides.